Core shaft remover for paper unwinding apparatus



June 14, 1960 Filed Jan. 7, 1957 L. P. FOURNIER 7 2,940,681

CORE SHAFT REMOVER FOR PAPER UNWINDING APPARATUS s Sheet s-Sheet i \NVENTOR A aw: E/T'Juawse AGENT June 14, 1960 g p FQURNIER 2,940,681

CORE SHAFT REMOVER FOR PAPER UNWINDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR zowwfifiue zv/se BY 0 1 M AGENT June 14, 1960 FQURNIER 2,940,681

CORE SHAFT REMOVER FOR PAPER UNWINDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. '7, 1957 INVENTOR laws PFbuk/v/m? United States Patent C CORE SHAFT REMOVERFOR PAPER APPARATUS Louis P. Fournier, Chisholm, Maine, assignor to Interna tion'al Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 632,897

1 Claim. (Cl. 242-68) This invention relates in general topaper unwinding apparatus of the type normally positioned ahead of a super calendar and particularly seeks to provide a device for quickly removing a core shaft from its position on the bearings of such apparatus after a reel of paper has been unwound therefrom.

Previously it was the practice to bring the chain tackle of a movable hoist into association with each end of a core shaft after it was emptied of paper and to use the hoist to lift the shaft clear of the unwind stand bearings and thereafter move it to a po'sition adjacent the reel end of a paper machine. It was necessary to disengage the hoist tackle from these core shafts and use the same hoist to lift a new fully wound reel into position on the unwind stand bearings for subsequent unwinding thereon. This change-over necessarily resulted in permitting the unwinding apparatus to remain idle while the empty core shaft was first removed from the unwind bearings and the new reel moved thereon.

In accordance with this invention a mechanism is incorporated in the unwind stand which is manually operated to shift the empty core shaft from the unwinding positio'n in the stand bearings to a standby position out of the way of the unwind position immediately upon completion of unwinding of the paper therefrom. By the provision of this core shaft handling mechanism it is possible to use a hoist or similar lifting mechanism to bring a fresh reel of paper to be unwound in position closely adjacent the unwind stand bearings before thev previous reel is completely unwound and then as the mechanism on the stand is manually operated to move the empty core shaft upwardly and away from its bearings it is merely necessary to drop the next paper reel to be unwound in the unwind stand bearings without causing any appreciable loss in the machine running time;

Thereafter the same hoist may be used to move the empty shaft to a storage location without tying up the operation of the unwind apparatus during this operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a manually operated mechanism incorporated in a paper reel unwind stand which may be operated quickly and easily to effect the shifting of an unwound reel away from the unwind bearings within a few moments.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple pivoted lever arm core shaft shifting mechanism which may be rocked upwardly under an empty core shaft by the manual manipulation of a hand wheel driving through suitable mechanical advantage linkages to displace the shaft along the lever arm into a standby pocket thereon clear of the unwind bearings.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character stated which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claim.

ice

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a paper unwind stand having a core shaft shifting device constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary right end elevation partly broken away of the unwind stand shown in'Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan taken along the line jof'Fig. 1. d

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention as embodied therein comprises a paper reel unwind stand generally indicated at 10 comprising two upright frame meinbers Y12 and 14 held in their upright spaced position by spacers 16, .16. The unwind stand includes bearing supports 18 and 20, respectively mounted on the frame members 12 and 14. Each bearing support is provided with an open top bearing 22 defining an axis and aligned to receive the shaft 24 of a reel of paper 26.

In accordance with this invention mechanisms are incorporated in the unwind stand 10 to effect shifting of the shaft 24 clear of the bearings 22 after the reel of paper 26 has been unwound therefrom. These mechanisms include a pair of T-shaped lift frames generally indicated at 28, 23 arranged to operatively engage the shaft 24 at a position slightly spaced from each side of the paper reel 26. Each lift frame 28 includes a bottom arm 30 afiixed to a rock shaft 32 positioned parallel to the axis defined by bearings 22 and mounted in suitable bearings for rotation in the frame members 12 and 14. The T-shaped lift frame also includes a top lever arm 34 having an upper surface portion 35 generally perpendicular to the arm 30 and extending laterally from each side thereof. One end of the surface portio'n 35 is curved upwardly slightly as at 36 and the opposite end is provided with a recessed groove 38 which presents a resting surface for the shaft 24 after it is shifted from the bearings 22, 22. When not in use the lift frame is in the position indicated at A (Fig. 2) to permit unhindered unwinding of the shaft 24. After the reel of paper is unwound the lift frame member is manually turned in one direction so that the curved portion 36 is brought into contact with the curved surface of the shaft 24, as indicated at B in dotted outline. Thereafter the frame member effects lifting of the shaft 24 from the bearings 22, 22 and causes the latter to roll by gravity along the surface portion 35 and into the curved grooves 38 (as indicated at C). After the empty shaft 24 is in position in the grooves '38 the lift frame members 28, 28 are turned in the opposite direction back to the position B thereby positioning the curved portions 36 below the bearings 22, 22 to permit a new paper reel to be positioned on the bearings for unwinding, after which the empty core shaft is removed from the grooves 38.

Aflixed to one end of the rock shaft 32 on the outside of the frame member 14 is a large gear 40. The gear 40 meshes with a small gear 42 aflixed to the end of a small shaft 44 mounted for rotation in bearings 46 affixed to the top of the frame member 14. The shaft 44 extends outwardly from the bearings 46 and is also provided with a ratchet wheel 48 afiixed thereto between the gear 42 and the frame member 14. The ratchet wheel 48 is normally engaged by a pawl 50 which prevents it from rotating in one direction. Aflixed to the outer end of the shaft 44 is a large sprocket 52 which is rotated through the medium of a chain 54 which engages a small sprocket 56 affixed to a shaft 58 mounted for rotation in bearings 60 on the frame 14. A large hand wheel 62 is aflixed to the end of the shaft 58 and manual rotation of this wheel causes rotation of the rock shaft 32 through the medium of the wheel 56 driving the wheel 52 through the chain 54 and the gear 42 driving the gear 40. The

pawl'50 is'arranged so that it engages the ratchet wheel 48 to prevent counter-clockwise rotation of the rock shaft 32 and the frame members 28, 28 as viewed in Fig. 2 when a core shaft is supported in the grooves 38. 4

Thus the invention provides a simple mechanism for elfe'ctivel'y shifting 'an'empty core-shaft 24 out of the bearings 22 to a standby position in the grooves 38. A

new reel of paper may be positioned on a hoist in readis ness for immediate placement in the bearings 22 as soon as the preceding shaft has become unwound and the liftframe member 28 is manually actuated to move the reel off the bearings 22.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details I; of arrangements and proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: 5 v A core shaft handling mechanism comprising, in combination, a pair of frame members, a pair of open top bearings defining an axis and mounted on said frame members for rotatably supporting a core shaft, a rock shaft jonrnalled for rotation in said frame members parallel to said axis, a pair of lever arms carried by said rock shaft, said lever arms having surface portions terminating in recessed grooves and upwardly curved portions at their opposite ends, said lever arms being movable in one direction to raise said curved portions from below said bearings to engage and lift a said core shaft from said bearings and to roll it by gravity along said surface portionsof said lever arms and into engagement with said"'grooves and in the opposite direction to return said ourved poi-tions below the bearings without displacing said core shaft from said grooves and means operable to turn the rock shaftin either direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent par 

